Women’s Leadership Handbook

Many newspapers are anxious to hear from their readers and to share information that has a local angle. Because of this, letters-to-the-editor can be an effective way to communicate information about agriculture and the Farm Bureau. It is important to remember that letters do not always need to be in response to a previous article or editorial. Rather, letters can simply be a platform to vocalize information that is positive about agriculture and Farm Bureau. More often than not, your letter WILL be published. To take advantage of this opportunity and to do so effectively, simply follow these letter-writing basics.

1. Make it legible. Type your letter if possible, using double spaces. Write on only one side of the paper.
2. Keep it simple. Be as brief as possible, while still long enough to make your case. Focus in on the basic idea in the first sentence or two so the editor can quickly determine why you are writing. Letters of 150 – 200 words are most likely to get printed, and least likely to get edited.
3. Make it readable. Give specific examples to support your points. Use personal experiences when possible. Use short sentences and avoid using jargon. Avoid all long paragraphs.
4. Make it timely. If you are responding to a news story or someone else’s letter, try to mail your letter within three days. Refer to the article or letter in your first sentence.
5. Identify yourself. If you are writing on your own, identify yourself with a short introduction that explains why you are knowledgeable on this topic. For instance, “our family has been farming for over 20 years” or “as a farmer, I believe.” If you are writing on behalf of the county Farm Bureau or some other group, include that information at the beginning. At the end of the letter, sign you name and give an address along with a phone number.
6. Address it properly. Use the following both for the address at the top of your letter and as the address on the envelope: Letters to the Editor, Newspaper Name, Newspaper address, and your salutation should be, “Dear Editor.”
7. Keep a copy. If your letter gets printed, you will want to compare your original copy with how the newspaper published it. That allows you to make sure the intent of your letter was not changed by editing and that no crucial point was eliminated.
8. Be persistent. If you send a letter and it does not get printed, do not get discouraged. Review letters that did get printed, especially on the same topic. You will probably see how you could have made yours more effective.

Women’s Committee Handbook

Matching the Volunteer to the Job

What has this person done well?
A person will tend to volunteer for a task, which is similar to one, which he/she performed before.

What does this person like to do?
Too many times the volunteer is eagerly accepted to fill a spot to suit the organization’s immediate need, but the real needs of the volunteer are never known and the person’s real skills are never used.

What would the person like to do better?
People join volunteer efforts to develop their skills. Help them determine how their involvement will benefit them.

With whom would he/she like to work?
Often the prospective volunteer has been encouraged to enroll by someone already engaged in the work. Or perhaps the volunteer is hoping to meet new friends or get to know an influential leader.

What are the person’s aspirations?
Determine the possible objectives of the individual as you speak with the volunteer.

Does the person see the value of the task?
Ensure that the prospective volunteer sees the meaning and importance of the work.

Asking them to Serve

Successful Ways to Ask:

• Know what the job is
• Give a complete explanation of the job
• Make an appointment to visit them at their home
• Keep the appointment
• Tell them why you are asking them
• Tell them why the job is important
• Tell them the time required
• Tell them what has been done before
• Ask them to help!

Ways that are Sure to Fail:

• Tell them you are desperate
• Tell them that they owe you
• Lie a little to make the task seem more appealing
• Make them feel guilty

Increasing Committee Effectiveness

• Set goals
• Build teams
• Send them to training
• Establish reporting mechanisms
• Eliminate dead weight
• Celebrate accomplishments

Women’s Handbook

Working on a committee can be a deeply rewarding experience to both the individual and the organization. Effective committees can be one of the most important working forces of our organization. This is particularly true if committee members are selected for the contribution they can make and are made to feel that it is an honor and a privilege to be called to serve.

Committees may serve the organization in the following ways:

• They can do the majority of the work of the organization.
• They can provide an opportunity for individuals to do the kind of work for which they are especially suited.
• An important contribution of committees, one that is frequently overlooked, is their potential for providing an excellent training ground for new leaders.
• The wise use of committee members helps to capitalize on the training and experience of a wider representation of organizational membership.
• Committees permit wider participation of members.
• Committee members have much wider contacts and can provide greater access to various facilities (or means) to accomplish the goals of the organization, more so than the officers of the organization alone.

Advantages … Qualifications … Appointments …

1.  What are the advantages of using a committee?

• Development of unified support for an idea
• A small group is easier to work with than a large group
• Issues may be discussed more freely
• Can bring in outside authorities
• Representation of various segments of the membership
• Committees generate enthusiasm
• Coordination and communication among various groups
• Encourages the participation of a larger number of members. Encourages the input of ideas and opinions of several members 

2. What qualifications should be looked for when naming members of a committee?

• Active past participation
• Ability to communicate
• Initiative
• Representation of various membership segments
• Committee continuity  

3. What are the recommended steps in appointing committee members?

• The leader selects proposed committee members
• An agreement to serve is obtained before final selection is made
• The leader makes the selection
• Names are submitted to the board for approval
• The member selected is notified of her appointment  

Benefits to the Committee Members

 Place to transform ideas into action

• Gain experience in decision making, leadership and communication skills
• Develop network of contacts
• Increase professional knowledge
• Broaden current expertise

Tips for Organizing Committees

• Size: appoint five to seven people for each committee
• Composition: committee members should be representative of the membership, and should include a mix of new and veteran members
• Choose Wisely:

A Good Committee Chair :

• • keeps the group focused on its objective
  • takes part in the group discussions without being too dominant
  • summarizes committee discussions from time to time-has vision, but maintains objectivity
  • encourages committee members to express themselves – does not shoot down new ideas
  • follows up with members to ensure that work is being done
  • communicates regularly with the board

A Good Committee Member:

• • is receptive to ideas
  • has perspective and vision
  • is familiar with the goals of the organization
  • is able to express ideas effectively
  • enjoys to give and take committee discussion; is willing to commit the time to attend meetings; can think in terms of the overall good

• Give the committee a clear statement of purpose 
• Clarify the authority of the committee
• Send committee member names to the state office

Women’s Committee Handbook

The meeting leader must focus the energy and attention of participants and keep them moving towards the meeting’s objectives. This is a multifaceted task that can be better understood by breaking a meeting into three major components.

The Major Components of a Meeting

Content – The information, knowledge, experience, opinions, ideas, myths, attitudes and expectations that participants bring to the meeting.

Interaction – The way participants work together while processing the meeting’s content. This includes feelings, attitudes and expectations that bear on cooperation, listening, participation, trust and openness.

Structure – The way in which both information and participants are organized to achieve the meeting’s purpose.

An effective leader is attentive to each of the above meeting components. The meeting leader’s role is to monitor progress and provide direction. In some meetings participants help provide direction. This makes the leader’s job easier. In other meetings the leader is requires to provide most of the direction.

To be an effective leader you must be able to analyze each situation, determine what is needed to move forward and take necessary action to achieve the objectives. On the following page is an outline of activities in each of the component areas that may be appropriate during a meeting.

Conducting Meetings

The leader’s role is to monitor the activity in each key component areas and provide missing elements required to move the group toward the meeting’s objectives.

Sample Agenda

See Agenda Example

Effective Meetings

Sticking to Business

• To prevent wandering during your meetings, use some of these techniques:
• Plan discussion, set your goals for what you want to accomplish
• Plan, Plan, Plan
• Plan your agenda Focus on local issues
• Start on time
• Move non-agenda, non-critical issues to next month’s agenda
• Use board meeting time wisely, don’t waste time on delegate-able decisions
• Be aware of board meeting time and its allocation Eliminate unnecessary recesses
• Ban cell phones or excuse cell phone users from the room Hold questions until the speaker is finished
• Set time limits for reports and speakers

Seven Ways to Stop Meeting Creativity

• We’ve never done it that way in this organization.
• We’re not ready for that yet.
• We’re doing all right without it.
• We’ve tried that once and it failed. Why bother doing it again?
• It cost too much.
• That’s not our responsibility. Why should we get involved?
• It won’t work.

Meeting Evaluation

Directions: Consider the typical meeting you attend. Compare your meeting to the following characteristics of an effective meeting. Check those statements that apply to meetings you normally conduct or attend.

• An agenda is prepared prior to the meeting.
• Meeting participants have an opportunity to contribute to the agenda.
• Advance notice of meeting time and place is provided to those invited.
• Meeting facilities are comfortable and adequate for the number of participants.
• The meeting begins on time.
• The meeting has a scheduled ending time.
• The use of time is monitored throughout the meeting.
• Everyone has an opportunity to present his or her point of view.
• Participants listen attentively to each other.
• There are periodic summaries as the meeting progresses.
• No one tends to dominate the discussion.
• Everyone has a voice in decisions made at the meeting.
• The meeting typically ends with a summary of accomplishments.
• The meeting is periodically evaluated by the participants.
• People can be depended upon to carry out any action agreed to during the meeting.
• Minutes of the meeting are provided to each participant following the meeting.
• The meeting leader follows up with participants on action agreed to during the meeting.
• The appropriate and necessary people can be counted on to attend each meeting.
• The decision process used is appropriate for the size of the group.
• When used, audiovisual equipment is in good working condition and does not detract from the meeting.

Number of statements checked____________ x 5 = ____________ Meeting Score

A score of 80 or more indicates you attend a high percentage of quality meetings. A score below 60 suggests that work be required to improve the quality of meetings you attend.

Mickey Bandi
Okeechobee County Farm Bureau President

Okeechobee County Farm Bureau President Mickey Bandi is proud to represent the farmers and ranchers in his community. “Agriculture is the largest industry in Okeechobee County,” he said.

“It’s very important to us to be part of organizations like Farm Bureau that look out for you.”

The Okeechobee County native grew up with a strong work ethic. His father was from Pennsylvania and tested experimental farm equipment for New Holland and his mother grew up on her family’s cattle farm in nearby Belle Glade.

He spent his summers as a child visiting Pennsylvania, growing hay and raising vegetables.

Today, Bandi lives in Okeechobee with his wife, Lori, and their two daughters, Lillie (11) and Alexis (Lexi) (7). Lori is a high school economics teacher and Mickey is the elected county property appraiser.

Both of their daughters hold an interest in agriculture, Lillie shows cattle and Lexi has a duck, affectionately named, Elvis.

Bandi graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in food and resource economics. He has been active in his county Farm Bureau serving as a board member for the last seven years and is currently serving his first year as president.

Bandi is proud of the annual Farm City-Week event, sponsored by the local Farm Bureau and held at the KOA Campground. “I’ve been involved in this event since I was in high school,” he said.

“FFA and 4-H kids set up booths, a speaker is invited to speak and a meal is served.” A local farmer or farm family is honored at the event and it provides an opportunity for the community to gather support for local farmers and youth agriculture.

The process to amend the state constitution is interesting in Florida, as there are multiple avenues to change our state’s fundamental governing document. Florida Farm Bureau takes a close look at all of the constitutional proposals on the ballot and has always been wary of citizen initiatives that change the state’s foundational document.

FFBF policy states that the Constitution should be the founding document that describes the powers, duties and functions of the state government. FFBF policy also opposes measures that could be addressed through the regular legislative process. So clearly, a very high standard must be met for amendments to gain support.

The 2020 amendments below are proposals that have already made ballot status or are pending Florida Supreme Court approval through the citizen initiative process. The FFBF board will likely review these at the next board meeting.

Amendment 1: Citizenship Requirement to Vote in Florida Elections

Sponsor: Florida Citizen Voters

Florida Supreme Court Approval: Yes

This amendment states that only United States citizens who are at least eighteen years of age, permanent residents of Florida and registered to vote, as provided by law, shall be qualified to vote in a Florida election.

Amendment 2: Raising Florida’s Minimum Wage

Sponsor: Florida for a Fair Wage

Florida Supreme Court Approval: Yes

This amendment raises minimum wage to $10.00 per hour effective September 30, 2021. Each September 30 thereafter, minimum wage shall increase by $1.00 per hour until the minimum wage reaches $15.00 per hour on September 30, 2026. From that point forward, future minimum wage increases shall revert to being adjusted annually for inflation starting September 30, 2027.

Amendment 3: All Voters Vote in Primary Elections for State Legislature, Governor and Cabinet

Sponsor: All Voters Vote, Inc.

Florida Supreme Court Approval: Pending

This amendment allows all registered voters to vote in primaries for state legislature, governor, and cabinet regardless of political party affiliation. All candidates for an office, including party nominated candidates, appear on the same primary ballot. The two highest vote getters advance to general election. If only two candidates qualify, no primary is held and the winner is determined in the general election. The candidate’s party affiliation may appear on the ballot as provided by law. This would be effective January 1, 2024.

Amendment 4: Voters Approval of Constitutional Amendments

Sponsor: Keep our Constitution Clean PC

Florida Supreme Court Approval: Pending

This amendment requires all proposed amendments or revisions to the state constitution to be approved by the voters in two elections, instead of one, in order to take effect. The proposal applies the current thresholds for passage to each of the two elections.

Florida Farm Bureau Federation is also supporting House Bill 7037 by Rep. Jamie Grant during the 2020 legislative session. This legislation includes several provisions that make the Constitutional initiative process more deliberative including raising the threshold of voter petitions to trigger language review, transparency measures requiring disclosure of out-of-state participation and shortening the amount of time groups have to gather petitions. It will also require groups pushing for a ballot initiative to pay for the signature verification process with local supervisors of elections’ offices. This bill adds important accountability into the system that allows citizens to propose amendments to the Florida constitution.

Beyond Finger-Pointing About Water

By Jack Payne
[email protected]
@JackPayneIFAS

I don’t have a problem with people saying agriculture is part of the source of the state’s water quality challenges. I do have a problem when people who know nothing about ag, drop the “part of.”

It’s bad for agriculture’s public image. It’s also bad science.

One way the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is trying to get past the finger-pointing and to set the record straight is by joining the Together Florida campaign. Its core message: Everyone is part of the water quality problem, so everyone needs to be part of the solution.

Nutrients that pollute our water can come from septic tanks, lawns, municipal wastewater systems and stormwater runoff as well as from farms. UF/IFAS and the Florida Farm Bureau belong to this coalition to seek an approach to protecting water quality that addresses all sources of pollutants, not one that singles you out.

For example, two of our water scientists, Mary Lusk and Andrea Albertin, are devoting outreach to educating the public about the harm done by leaky septic tanks.

Florida Sea Grant agent Betty Staugler and UF/IFAS Extension regional specialized water agent and Sea Grant affilate Lisa Krimsky synthesized the input of 75 scientists and last month released a state-of-the-science report on algae blooms. It lays out what we know and, importantly, what we don’t know, like “What is the role of P(hosphorus)?”

It also maps out a research agenda that calls for developing a way to separate the various sources of water pollution. It also calls for determining if practices on the farm – or in the city – will reduce blooms. In other words, let’s figure out what actually works before we mandate it.

No one is better positioned than UF/IFAS to plot a strategic course to find answers to water pollution questions. At the same time, we seek to engage policy makers by providing them with the best information available to help them make decisions now, not a decade from now when we have better science.

Many of you are operating out of the UF/IFAS Best Management Practices (BMP) playbook. With state support for public science we can learn a lot more about how to tailor BMPs by geography, crop, soil type, weather conditions and more.

The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) deserves a lot of credit for taking the lead on Together Florida. The website includes tools for you to contact your local legislator to support clean water legislation based on science or calls for development of that science.

We help you fight nematodes, crop disease and drought. With the help of the Farm Bureau and FFVA, we’re helping you fight misinformation, too.

Jack Payne is the University of Florida’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Women’s Committee Handbook

Alachua

Women’s Committee Program

• Your field Representative should be the Jack (or Jill) of all trades.
• They are there as a resource to help develop your Program of Work.
• They are there to help you brainstorm new ideas and connect you with possible resources you might need from the county, district, or state levels.
• They are a resource in reaching out to county women’s chairs.
• They are helpful in identifying potential new women’s chairs in counties without existing women’s programs.
• They bring experience to the planning stage of events, initiatives, or other activities.
• They keep your group in the loop on upcoming events at the state level.
• They support and encourage the group’s vision, mission, and goals.
• They remind the group of deadlines for scholarships, events, and awards.
• They keep members motivated and engaged to make a difference as they see fit (in alignment with Farm Bureau policy).
• “They are the pocketknife to a cowboy!”

Women’s Committee Handbook

The Young Farmer and Rancher (YF&R) Representative to the State Women’s Leadership Committee is the vital link between women, ages 18-35 and the State Women’s Leadership Committee. She is the spokesperson for her YF&R Leadership team and should represent them at Farm Bureau functions. The YF&R Representative to the State Women’s Leadership Committee is voted on by her YF&R Leadership Team for a one-year term at the Florida Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in October.

• Be knowledgeable in all aspects of the total Farm Bureau Program, particularly YF&R
• Attend all scheduled meetings of the State Women’s Leadership Committee during her one-year appointment as the YF&R representative.
• Contribute to the determination of the annual women’s program of work based on local, state, and national issues and concerns.
• Work alongside District Chairmen to develop and assist in annual planning/training meetings.
• Contact and update other YF&R Leadership Team members on a regular basis. It is her responsibility to keep YF&R women informed on issues and events concerning the state program.
• Report State Women’s Leadership Committee activities to the YF&R Leadership Team
• Help surface Women’s Committee and YF&R leaders for the organization
• Support efforts to publicize State Women’s Leadership Conference and other statewide meetings in individual districts.
• Assist in planning and implementation of women’s activities at FFBF Annual Meeting
• Participate in AFBF meetings as needed
• Seek the assistance of their district women’s chairman and state program coordinator when appropriate and necessary.